Fertilize that! German farmer dresses cows in diapers in EU protest

A German farmer has been putting nappies on his cows in protest at EU legislation that forbids the use of fertilizers on steep slopes. With no bovine-sized diapers available from the local store, white bed sheets with pink ribbons had to suffice.

The idea was the
brainchild of Bavarian cattle farmer Johann Huber, who became fed
up with an EU directive that did not allow farmers to fertilize
slopes steeper than 15 percent. With cow droppings in theory
counting as fertilizer, he sarcastically decided to try and abide
by EU regulations by making sure that no cow droppings managed to
land on the pristine Bavarian slopes.

“We have no standard
nappies,” he said. “They haven’t been developed
commercially yet.”

Another farmer, Niklas Saenger, told the Star that the EU
legislation to ban fertilizers on steep slopes was
“ridiculous” and “not practical.” He said it
was almost as if the farmers were “expected to go along with
a shovel and clear up” after their cows.

Farmers who fail to adhere to the EU legislation could face
losing their subsidies, while the Telegraph says that Brussels is
going to take legal action against Germany for being a serial
offender in not implementing the fertilizer ban.

"We demand that Germany stops this ban," Anton
Kreitmair, president of the Upper Bavaria Farming Union, at
Wednesday’s protest. "Slurry and dung are not pollutants, but
valuable fertilizers."

Farmers in the southern German region are particularly worried
because of the hilly topography of the area, which means a large
area of farmland or grazing land has a gradient of more than 15
percent. This could also affect vineyards, with Kreitmair adding
that half the grapevines in Bavaria would no longer be able to
use manure to enhance their growth.

"Mountain farmers have a major role in ensuring that the Alps
are one of the most sought-after travel destinations. Federal and
state politicians need to ensure that the conditions continue to
allow farmers to meet their many social duties," The Local
reported Kreitmar as saying.